TWO men accused of blowing up phone boxes on the A64 both claim they had nothing to do with the explosions which left the two boxes completely destroyed.

Geoffrey Layton, 30, and Peter Cheetham, 29, were said to have blown up the boxes near Malton, in a bid to steal their contents as they drove to Scarborough.

But the pair both told York Crown Court they did not leave the car during the drive with Layton's brother, Stuart, who has admitted the offences.

Layton and Cheetham, from Seacroft, Leeds, deny conspiracy to damage property and conspiracy to steal on November 21.

Layton said he wanted to go to Scarborough to clear his head because of stress at home. He phoned his brother, Stuart, and asked him to come along. Stuart invited Cheetham.

During the trip Layton claims his brother, who was driving, asked to pull over to phone his girlfriend from a phone box on the side of the A64.

Layton claims his brother got out along with Cheetham and then there was a loud bang as the phone box exploded.

He claimed he was shocked at what had happened and said at the time he wanted nothing to do with it. He got into the driver's side of the car and drove off towards a roundabout where he went back on to the A64 towards Leeds.

Pain caused by a broken arm meant he had to pull in to a lay-by on the opposite side of the road to where the first phone box had exploded.

Layton alleged by this time his brother and Cheetham had picked up the cash box from the first phone and crossed over the A64. All three men were now on the same side of the road where the second explosion is alleged to have taken place.

Cheetham claimed he wanted to go to Scarborough to see waves as he had never seen the sea before.

He said when they stopped for Stuart Layton to phone his girlfriend he did not get out of the car.

Cheetham suffers from epilepsy and said he could not remember an explosion, but remembered becoming unwell. He said Stuart Layton drove towards a roundabout and back up the road the other way.

He then remembered seeing a police car, but he then went into an epileptic seizure.

Andrew Woolman, prosecuting, said: "Each one says the other two are guilty. The prosecution say even that is half the truth. The real truth is they all did it and these two are trying to wriggle out of it."

The case continues.

Updated: 10:38 Thursday, June 26, 2003